Panther
by Jade of Desire
Summary: She told him she would break his heart. They told her, he would break hers. Looking back on it, she broke his first. And now, she's thinking of healing it.
1. Your Kidding

**Hey, this is just a story I thought of, but I think it's wat too cliched.. Like seriously...Do you think I should discontinue it? Yeah...**

* * *

"Riiiiiiiing!" The alarm clock rung with startling, shrill, loudness. A hand shot out of the red silk covers, groped around on the antique desk, and upon finding its target, hurled the alarm clock across the room to smash against the wall in deadly accuracy against a of a picture of her the said girl's mother. With a groan, she sank under the covers, pulling the comforter over her head in a smooth and practiced motion.

"May!" Her mother appeared in the arch of the door way as if one timing with the annilihation of the alarm clock. "That's the thirteenth alarm clock I've gotten you this month," her mother, a woman in a pencil skirt and hair pulled into a tight bun, said ripping open the cream colored curtains. "Just because you didn't like moving here, doesn't mean you have to make such a big deal about it. What's done is done." And with that her mother stormed out of her room, slamming the door behind her, while calling out, "I'll expect you downstairs for breakfast in ten minutes!"

With a groan the sixteen year old teen climbed out of bed, but dove back in, when she was hit by a cold blast of air from the open window that had been blocked by the shades. Gritting her teeth in annoyance she hopped out of bed, and pulled on her clothes that she had picked from last night, humming in approval of her handiwork.

Then she walked to the door, stepping around the smashed remains of her alarm clock. She rushed down the spiral staircase, eager to get breakfast over with her family, whom she was still angry at. She rushed into her seat gobbled up her eggs and bacon that had been set out for her and made a move to rush up the stairs again. "May, wait." Her mother's voice stopped her from charging up the stairs, and getting the hell away from her family.

"We wanted to talk-"

"There's nothing to talk about!" May interupted angrily. "You can't just barge in every frickin' time I finally settle down, and make friends and announce that were moving, ok? I have a life too!" With that, she bounded up the stairs, ignoring her mother's calls behind her. She blinked back tears as she rounded the front balcony into her room.

She brushed her teeth and washed her face, then began to yank a comb through her hair angrily. Each jerk like a punch to her mother. Breathing in deep, she managed to calm down just enough to see a flash of yellow in the corner of her eye, just starting to turn into her street. Comb in mid stroke, she yanked it through her hair, threw it onto a maroon plush chair in her bedroom and gave herself a onceover.

She was wearing a seethrough tanktop, with a gray cami underneath, faded navy jeggings that she had cut herself. They were fraying at the edges, and slipping on her white sneakers with black laces, she picked up her back pack adjusted her ponytail and ran out the door, rushing down the steps and out onto her driveway.

* * *

On the bus, she immediatly scrunched herself in a seat in the back and fingered a piece of thread that was already coming loose on her backpack by her constant picking. She lost herself in her thoughts as she argued angrily in her mind about the unfairness of her parent's decision.

"Hey, you. New girl. Get outta my seat." A red headed girl was glaring angrily at her, hand on her hip.

May responded instantly, the school food chain was wiped clean of her mind as she shot back. "Sorry, I think this is school property."

"Who do you think you are?" The redhead snarled at her, "Do you even know who I am?"

"Would I want to?" May retorted, glaring at her. May decided that she was obviously some kind of punk or goth. Her hair was held in a side ponytail, her leather jacket was ripped and beaten, and her combat boots were a huge stand out in the crowd that May was surprised that the teens on the bus were yet to notice or comment on them.

The redheaded punk looked May over, then, deciding she liked what she saw, she held out her hand. "The name's Misty." May was surprised at the sudden change of attitude, from hostile to friendly, but she shook her hand anyway.

"May."

Misty studied her over for another time, and then her eyes softened as she slid into the seat. She placed her backpack on the beaten leather of the bus seat and rested her arm on it looking at May curiously. "Your new here, aren't you?"

"Yes..." May answered warily, not quite sure what to make of the question.

Misty took a deep breath, "There's something I need to tell you about this place."

* * *

By the time Misty and I had gotten of the bus, we had become practically best friends. And she had told me a lot of important things about La Rousse, including...

"Gang's?" I asked incredulously. "Your kidding me."

"Not gangs, five main gangs." Misty corrected me in my dubiousness.

"That is so cliched, is this something like the Warrior cats series or something?" I asked mockingly. "Its just so... so...I mean five _gangs _are in this town?"

"Not gangs...gang is just way to cheesy...believe me...when your fighting for your life, you don't think its cheesy." Misty said seriously.

"Really, you?" I asked in awe.

"Yeah, it's crazy... this street fighting. What's even crazier is that I'm in one," Misty sighed, crossing her arms.

"It's just so...cliched and cheesy," I commented glancing around me.

Misty noticed me looking around, and she laughed. "Not everyone is involved."

"But they stay away from the people who do," I noted. Seeing some goths dressed similarily like Misty walking alone up the school road.

"Yeah."

"So what are the five whatever you call it's?" I asked, suddenly curious.

"Why the change of attitude? As I noted before, you weren't exactly believing when I told you about them in the first place."

"I'd like to be able to defend myself," I answered.

Misty nodded in approval, "Well there's the Snake one. They have the brains, you know sly, sneaky, that kinda thing."

I nodded, filing the information away into my mind. "Then there's the Tiger one, that's where all the rich kids are in, you know? Rich parents, snooty and all. They don't really fight well, but they have tons of money and resources. Um, then there's the cheetah's those teens are super fast. Like athletic, track people, you know?"

"Yeah."

"And then there's the lions..." Misty's voice trailed of, as she glared at a pink haired girl's back, who was just entering the school. She picked up again, "They're the one with the guns and all... really. They're the worst of all of them." I nodded in understanding, as we walked up the stone steps to La Rousse high.

"What about the one your in?"

"The panthers," Misty answered quickly. "Let's just say, we have the knives." My eyes widened at her statement. Knives?

"Wow," my brain was whirling with all the sudden information she had given me. I was about to ask her to tell me a little more about the gangs when the bell rang.

"Quick, what's your class?"

I looked down at the schedule that I had taken out when I had climbed up the steps. "Math."

Misty groaned, "Valencia's in that class, your dead... unless...Okay, there's a girl in your class, a bluenette, you can't miss her. She's a panther, her name's Dawn, she'll protect you."

"What?" I asked in confusion, as a brunette came up to Misty.

"Just find Dawn, and don't talk to a white haired girl, okay?" Misty shouted behind her as the brunette tugged her down the hall.

"Okay," I said weakly, as I headed quickly to my designated locker that had been assigned to me by email. I quickly opened the door shoved my back pack in, unzipped it, pulled out my math book and slammed the locker shut. I raced to the math classroom, which was conveniently located across from my locker. I took a deep breath, and walked in.

* * *

"Class, this is May." The teacher said, introducing me in front of the class. "May, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself."

"Okay-"

"Wait, sorry." The teacher reached over to her coat pocket and took out her cellphone, as it rang. "Yes, hello?" Then letting out a scream of despair she grabbed her coat and raced out of the room, calling behind her back, "Valencia's in charge!"

The class laughed at her expense and high fived each other, as they rushed to their friend's desks and started talking about plans after school. I was left in the rush and conversational attitude of the students as they lounged out on the chairs.

The supposed Valencia that Misty had told me not to talk to approached me, and introduced herself. "I'm Valencia." She put on a smile that seemed so geunine that I wanted to ignore Misty's warning and open myself up to her. But I couldn't after I noticed a very small and faint strain of tenseness of the other people in the room. They started babbling loudly, all topics of nonsense and found ways to glance my way every few minutes.

"May," I said with a fake smile, that she could clearly see through.

Valencia frowned for a very slight second, and then a wide smile appeared on her face and she started explaining exactly what Misty had on the bus, but angling it so that the Snakes seemed like the good people. Explaingin made up (probably) scenarios in which the Snakes had swooped down and helped a helpless victum.

"Hey," Valencia was interupted by a hand on her shoulder. I looked up to see a blunette with a fierce look in her eyes. Dawn? Valencia glared at her, and she glared back, after a minute of staring Vanessa down, Dawn looked at me.

I was surprised, that Valencia had looked away first. Everything about her screamed out her membership to the snake gang. Her cold gray eyes, her sparkly ripped skirt that seemed to mock you, now that I thought of it, without making her stand out as a total girl. The first button was undone teasingly,of her white crisp blouse, and her hair was pulled into a tight bun. Her hostile posture and sly smile, deeply hidden under her fake cheery bubbly one added up to the equivalent of a viper queen.

Dawn, on the other hand, was a total princess in the punk world. Her black skirt had waves of silk running down it, and her chain belt was littered with glitter. She wore a purple cami under a navy blue glittery t-shirt. She had on dark purple eyeshadow with just a touch of mascara. She looked like the typical princess girl on the streets, and I would have thought her one, if I hadn't seen the knife cut on her arm. She had wrapped a few bandages around it, but I could see that it was still fresh and that blood had seeped through.

It was then, that I finally realized, this is all real, the street fighting here and stuff in this town. And I was scared, really scared. And when Dawn jerked her thumb for Valencia to leave and she turned to leave herself, I panicked calling out Dawn's name. I knew that once Dawn had her back turned Valencia wouldn't hesitate to 'attack me' again. I didn't want that to happen.

"Dawn!" Her posture stiffened hostily and she whipped around aggressively. "How do you know my name?"

"Misty," I said weakly, surprised by the change of a protective attitude to an aggressive and hostile one.

She softened and studied me for a second, her hand on her hip. "I can see why she took a liking to you. Come on." She indicated me in the direction of her desk with her head. "We have a lot to talk about."

* * *

"You've got to sit with us," Dawn whined in the lunch line.

"But I hardly know _anyone _at the Panther table," I complained, grabbing a tray. I continued down the line, grabbing a sandwich as I went.

"It doesn't matter," Dawn replied. "The gangs go after all the new kids. Trust me, they do. And there either going to like you, or hate you. If they like, they're going to want to recruit you, if they hate you, they're going to kill you, either way if you don't join their gang or they hate you, you are going to die."

"Literally?" I squeaked out.

"No." Dawn answered truthfully, "But you could as well be."

"So your recruiting me into the Panthers before they get a chance to have a go at me."

"Theorectically, yes." Dawn admitted, not one bit ashamed.

"But what about the other kids, Misty said not all people at school were street fighters."

"They...had bodyguards for a year."

"Your kidding."

"Nope. Oh, here's Misty."

Misty approached us, at the end of the lunch line. She had already filled up her tray, and was tapping her foot in annoyance. I figured out that she had been standing there quite a while. "I see you've met Dawn, May."

"Yeah," I said grinning. In my other classes which Dawn had coincidentally seemed to also be in, I had talked to Dawn a lot more. She was actually a quite cheerful and bubbly girl, regardless of being a Panther and all.

"Come on then," Misty said, starting in the direction of a table in the corner. She was stopped by a sneering voice, belonging to a pink haired girl.

"Where do you think your going after yesterday?" She snarled, upturning Misty's tray onto her, as quick as lighting. Cheetah, I concluded, taking a look at her long legs and athletic oudorrsy look.

"May, why don't you head to the table first." Misty warned me, indicating the table with a flick of her head, but keeping her eyes on the pink haired girl. I got the feeling that she wasn't suggesting it, and that things might get a little ugly. I was pretty sure that most schools wouldn't allow fights in their cafeteria, but most teachers weren't afraid of half of their students as I had seen so far.

I knew better to complain about meeting the Panthers myself, and I headed over to the table, taking a deep breath to calm myself down as I sat on an outside seat. "Who do you think you are?" A voice behind me interogated as I looked up wincing slightly. I knew this was coming, you didn't just sit at a punk table and expect to get away with it.

"Misty and Dawn invited me here," I explained to the brunette that had dragged Misty away earlier. I hoped she had remebered a glimpse of me, and know that I was with Misty. Her face or hostile posture didn't change an inch.

"Then we'll wait for them to come over then, won't we?" She was obviously waiting for Misty and Dawn to come over and prove me hopefully wrong. _Yeah, not going to happen. _

"May, I see you've met Leaf..."Misty's voice trailed away at her hostile postition, hand on cocked hip, and a glare on her face.

"Oh, so you were telling the truth, my bad." She changed instantly, like as Dawn. It made me wonder if they were slid into a seat next to me, as Misty and Dawn sat across from me.

"So May, you'll still have to-"

Just then a few other goths headed in our direction and I presumed them to be Panthers as well. They sat down at the table, and began chatting, barely noticing me which surprised me. From what I'd seen, these street fighters were really hostile and guarded at first, then friendly..sorta. But now they barely acknowledged me.

"Your with us," Misty explained, piecing together my puzzled expression. I nodded understandingly as I lifted my fork to start eating my lunch.

"Newcomer?" I jumped up, startled and I stared into green smouldering eyes. It was a boy, dressed similarily to his fellow members, leather jacket, and combat boots and all. It was his proud expression that had me separating him from the others, and his green hair. I had assumed a gang like this would have a leader. I was right. "Drew Hayden." He didn't hold out his hand for me to shake, but then again, this was a street fighting gang, not a political part

I nodded and opened my mouth to say something, but he cut me off. "Daryl's warehouse at seven," and with that he slid out of the seat, and made his way to a group of boys at the other end of the table.

"Uh..."

Misty laughed at my dumbfounded expression. "Drew can be like that, but here, we like to test recruit's. She pulled out a piece of paper and drew dirctions to the warehouse. "Oh, also there's something I need to tell you. We have...territories." And with that she pulled out a map of La Rousse, and began outlining five major parts before I could get a word in.

"Where do you live?" She finally stopped so that I could catch up to all the information she was feeding into my brain. I pointed to a spot on 24th avenue. "Lucky you, your in the middle of Panther territory." The way she said it, made me wonder about the people who weren't.

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**Cliche, I know...Pleaz review..**


	2. Try Outs? Sorta

**So, I updated early...Don't worry, I'll try to update next week to...but I'm not sure I'll make it, so I'm updating early in case I don't...**

Finishing off the last math problem, I glanced at the new clock hung on my bedroom wall, saftely out of reach. The minute hand reached the twelve and the hour hand touched six. Sighing, and throwing my newly chewed pencil onto my comflrter where it got lost in the waves of silk, I walked over to my closet and pulled out a wooden jewelry box that I had taken. My parents would've never had let me take it, as it was the reason we had moved Petalburg city the first place. I opened it, and there, among the rest of others simialr in category with it, was a switchblade handle with my name carved on it. I pulled it out, closed the box, and flicked it open.

Twirling it expertly around my fingers, I sat back on the bed, after putting the box back into the closet. I stopped spinning the blade around my fingers, and I held it firmly by the handle. I remembered when I had first gotten it.

_I backed into the dark alley, as the silhoutte of the my attacker appeared in the dimming evening sunlight. I bumped into someon behind me, and I whirled around, my eyes, reflecting terror. It was a boy, about my age, thirteen, but unlike me, he wasn't afraid of the big man looming beofre us, like a skyscraper _

_He held a knife in his hands, and his eyes glinted defiance at the man befoe us. "Get away from her," he warned , stepping in fron tof me and holding his knife up in a steady position. The man, didn't respond, and he flicked out a knife of his own. I was to terrified to make a sound, so I just stood there, scrunched agaisnt a wall, watching them circle around each other like spar mates. Except this was real. _

_The boy lunged first and ducked under the man's blow, he stabbed his knife into the man's arm, and thenpulling it out, he grabbed my hand. "Run!" We raced out of the alley, down the empty street and around the corner. He was dragging me, and I was following obediently. I didn't know who he was, or why he was helping me, but i did know that my life was in danger. _

_He raced through Quarterstone Corner and into a another alley. He turned into a grimy warehouse, where a few other kids, slightly older were hanging. "He's after us!" The boy yelled, pointing behind us with his bloody knife. The black haired girl was off like a rocket, throwing her cigarette behind her, as she brusehd away a curl of pink haired highlights in anticipation. _

_She reached into her sleeves, and pulled out two wickedly gleaming, razor sharp knives, made for throwing. A bronze haired boy pulled out two long knives, and stared at the door dutifully. The man stumbled into the warehouse, gripping his arm. When he saw, the other teens, he roared frustratedly, and backed out as the bronze haired boy cirled around him. _

_Sighing in defeat, the man backed out through the door way leaving his dignity behind, put keeping his life. Then they looked at me, not as if I were a piece of meat though. They looked at me as if I was a wolf, just like them, a cub waiting to be taught. The boy who had saved me in the alley handed me a knife lying in a corner without a word. _

_The bronze haired boy studied me for a second. "Welcome, to the Alpha's."_

Sighing, I layed down on the bed, closing my eyes and remembering my first and only boyfriend.

_A year later, after my daring escape, I learned about the man that had chased me. It had been a closed topic in the months that came, when I snook out of my house at night, I asked about him, when I found them lurking in an alley on a shopping day with my mother I asked. _

_Now, a year later my questions were finally answered. "My mother?" I screeched in surprise. The black haired girl with pink higlights, who I had know to be called Rhea nodded, wincing at my loudness. _

_"Your parents are involved in an international illegal slave trade." I gasped, and then I ran out of the room ever so dramatically. I crashed into a pile in front of Kevin, the boy who had saved me in the alley a year ago, and my best friend. He wrapped me in a hug, as I sobbed. _

_I had had a hard time believing that my parents would do such a thing, but when I pieced together the secretive looks at the table, and calls they rushed to take, it all pieced together. "Hey, May, its okay." He looked at me, patting my back understandingly. _

_"My parents," I wailed into his hsoulder as a fresh burst burst of tears came. _

_"Shhhh," he rubbed my back soothingly. I looked up into his brown eyes and sniffled. _

_"Its okay," he smiled reassuringly at me and placed a hand on my cheek. Then, he kissed me._

I smiled as i remembered the old times with Kevin, and then I jerked up to look at the clock. Six, forty-five. Time to go. I rushed to my closet.

* * *

Straightening my ponytail, on the top of the stairs, I wrapped my leather jacket around me as I walked down the stairs. I headed through the kitchen and into the mudroom, when my mother's vioce stopped me. "May! Where are you going?"

She hurried out of the cooking area behind the counter in the kitchen and hurried over to me. She looked me up and down, and frowned. "May? Why are you wearing your leather jacket? What are you doing?"

"Um..." _Quick May, think fast. _"Meeting a ...?" My mother perked and eyebrow and crossed her arms expectantly. "B-boy?"

I made my voice sound like barely a whisper, feigning embarassment. "Awwww, May. You don't have to hide things like that from em. Have a nice time!" She waved me off and headed back to the kitchen. I breathed in relief, _that was a close one. _

* * *

I knocked on the back of the grimy warehouse, hearing the muffled sounds of talking and impacts with fabric inside. A blond with brown higlights opened the door and raised her eyebrows when she saw me. "Newbie, huh." She rolled her eyes and beckoned for me to go in.

Gulping, I stepped inside the warehouse, not at all surprised at the inside. A few red mats covered the center of the floor, with people saprring on them. Punching bags hung from the rafters, wrn down and beaten, with stuffing falling out. A few teens were throwing daggers at a painted target, flakes were already missing from the red and white circle. The daggers made a loud and rythmic thud as they thudded into the wall. Teens leaned against the wall, sharpening knives while they talked with their friends. I identified Misty on one of the mats, sparring with a violet haired girl, it was no contest as Misty was throwing an onslaught of punches and kicks that seemed endless.

Noticing me, she paused in her match, gave a few words to the violet haired girl, grabbed a waterbottale of a worn down chair and headed in my direction. "May." She gave me a small smile after she downed half her bottle of water. "Its good to see you."

"Okay, so why don't we-" She was cut off, as she noticed the lump of my switchblade in my pocket. I quickly shoved my hand inside my pocket and attmepted to cover it up. I had brought it along with me in case I ran into any trouble on the way here, but I hadn't seen a glimpse of any punks or goths besides an occasional Panther. "What's that?" She asked sharply, her eyes narrowing at me.

"N-nothing." W_hy did I have to stutter? _It certainly wasn't helping my cause. She looked suspiciously at me, and without further warning she reached for my arm, yanked it out and was about to grab inside my pocket, when I executed a swinging kick that Kevin had taught me before I had left. She dodged gracefully, and in a smooth motion, yanked out my switchblade.

:May?" She asked in astonishment. "What's this?" The talking had ceased now, and the other street fighters crowded around Misty and I. She looked at me in surprise, "Were you?"

I nodded in response, and then I sat down and told them my tale, leaving out the parts about Kevin and I'l relationship. I was pretty sure they didn't want an inner look at my lovelife.

* * *

"Well, former street fighter or not, I'm not going to go easy on you." Misty warned me as we circled around each other. The other Panthers were sitting around the mat, the carefree aura gone now, as they surveyed me and Misty.

She stepped in with a lunging kick, I dodged, knowing that she had expected me to block it, her balance was of for a second, and a swept my leg in a low arcing swipe and mangaed to trip her. She rolled over as I swung down at her, and she stood up, swinging a punch at me. Then she swung a various amount of blows at me, but I was always one step ahead of her. Dodging a swinging jab, and retaliating with a high arcing swing of the foot. In the end, I managed to dodge low and hook my leg around her foot, and topple her backwards, dodging her kick efficiently.

She groaned in defeat as a small smile formed on her face as she studid me more seriously. "What about this one?" She sprang up, and lodged a spinning jump kick towards my gut. I crossed my left armarm with my right foot, deflecting the blow and struck home at stomach, extending my right leg. She smiled wrly on the floor yet again. "Your good may."

"I know," I replied jokingly. she looked up, and I followed her gaze. She was staring intensely at Drew. "You can pair her up with Dawn now," she said through gritted teeth. My eyebrows crinkled curiously as my gaze landed on Drew. He paused his staring match against Misty to look at me with his dark harsh eyes. I immediatly looked down, a small flush forming on the nape of my neck which I hoped was covered by the collar of my shirt.

Against Dawn, I didn't stand a chance. As soon as the match started, she weaved through my punches and jabbed at my pressure points. I was surprised at how fast I had been taken down from such light blows. When I asked her after the match she gave me a small secretive smile. It didn't seem like I was the only one who harbored secrets.

* * *

"And now, knife throwing," Misty announced as we made the way over to the target on the wall. Here, she grabbed a small rusty dagger and threw it at the target. It landed with a thud on the outer rim of white. "I'm a piece of crap at it, so just ignore the shittiness of my throws." Misty warned me, a small joking smile on her face. "You try."

Without a further invitation, I pulled out my switchblade, flicked the blade open, and threw it point first into the red target dot. It landed into the slashed wood with a thud, quivering ever so slightly. "Well," Misty commented eyes wide. "Nice shot."

"Beginner's luck," A voice from the corner s piped up. A very black hair colored girl walked up to the target. She threw a black dagger at another target, which thudded into the red dot. Frowning, I backed up a little, grabbed a knife resting on a chair and threw it at the target. It thudded into the red dot, pushing my switch blade over. "Your challenging me?" She asked incredulously. Smirking, she backed up to the halfine separating the warehouse room and threw a dagger at her target. Bam, it hit the red dot.

She turned away in disgust as misty handed me one of her own daggers. I gripped it in my hand, getting used to the peculiar weight of it, and then I threw it at my target. The ebony haired girl, who had turned away in disgust, jumped as the knife hitthe spot. The talking that had started to build up during my match with Dawn ceased again. Eager eyes watched us, as the raven haired girl backed up to two-thirds of the room. She grabbed another knife and threw it at the target. It consistently hit the red target. Misty handed me a pocketknife, something I was more used to and I threw it, crossing my fingers as it flew through the air. Bam! It hit the dot, like the other line of knives I had thrown.

"Ugh," she groaned, blacking up to the opposite side of the room opposit ethe knives, she threw her knife, less carelessly and more cockily now. It hit the white outer rm, the slight change so small, barely noticeable. But Misty noticed it. "Its you and the board, May." I flashed her a small smile and took the knife. Adjusting my grip on the daggers, I focused on the target, and I threw the dagger, rotating my hand so that the dagger would get more edge and spin. Thud, the knife landed on the red dot. Victory. I smiled happily , and had it been normal times, I would've danced around, but I was in a street fighter head out, and somebody was not very happy with me. Or so I thought.

The raven haired girl walked up to me, a smile on her face, which I found peculiar as I had ust ashamed her in front of her fellow street fighters. "Ryanna."

May." I smiled too. I studied her smile, but I could fnd nothing fake or cold about it. "So am I in this thing?"

"Definitely," She said holding out her hand for me to shake. The first of the many, I found later that night.

* * *

"May! How was your date? What was his name?" My mom asked as I was making my way up the stairs. She had finsihed cooking a batch of cookies, and she was putting away her oven gloves.

"Good..."

"And? His name?"

"Drew," I responded instantly. Only later that night, I would ask myself why I had picked that name.

* * *

**WOuld you review if I told you to? Probably wouldn't. You'll probably wait for someone else to do it...in fact, you probably think this note is a scam to goad you into reviewing...would you kill me if I agreed? LOL**


	3. A OneSided Argument

**Okay, so I' making up for updates now, as I won't be able to update for a verrrry long time... let's just say I'm going to a national park that is wi-fi less... I DON"T UPDATE EVERY FEW DAYS MORE LIKE WEEKLY OR TWO WEEKLY...I'M JUST BORED AND ON A ROLL (HOPEFULLY)**

* * *

The next morning on the bus, I looked around for a familiar blur of red, at the next flow of students getting on from the bus stop, but Misty wasn't there. I frowned and moved to the edge of the leather seat, glancing up and down the aisle for the familiar shade of red. Nada. I stared in confusion, what had happened? Maybe Misty had gone to school some other way, but it didn't make sense. She had been on the bus yesterday. Shrugging of my confusion I brushed an invisble peck of dust off my leather jacket. I had also noticed something else too. When I had gotten on the bus, people that showed friendly faces towards me the day before, had stared at the ground, unwilling to meet my eyes, as I had taken my seat. They talked in whispered hushes and scrunched together, all in directions away from me. I was surprised at their guarded treatment, but I had shrugged it of, thinking it was related to my involvment with the Panthers.

When I entered the school, I didn't think it was just a small thing anymore. People edged away from me, not even bothering to whisper and point at me, like as what would've happened with a rumor. A girl that had pointed me in the direction of the water fountain yesterday suddenly stared in the other direction and stayed silent when I walked up to her, to try to thank her. Teen's converstaions stopped abruptly when I neared them, not hushing as if with an occasional eavesdropper, but stopping as if they were breaking the rules of some sort of quiet game. I frowned as I exited my last class until lunch, even the teachers were afraid of me. I hadn't noticed till today that the teachers called on the all and only 'regular kids'. Something was very wrong.

* * *

I slid into the seat I had sat in yesterday with Misty, Dawn and Leaf and looked over at the lunch line impatiently. Misty was still at the back of the line, chatting with Leaf seriously. Dawn was texting on her phone, a smile on her face as she silently laughed at whatever she was reading. I jumped with a start at the sound of a boot planted firmly on the circular seat next to me. I turned around to see Drew, a smouldering look in his eyes. "Where were you this mornig?"

"Um...eating breafast?" I said weakly, as I wondered what was wrong.

"_Eating breafast?_" He scorned. His eyes darkened in anger. "Tell me, when do you think you go to the warehouse."

"After school."

"That's it?" He asked incredulously. "Your supposed to have already been in one of these things, and you only knew that you went to whatever meeting place you have, after school?" He narrowed his eyes at me. I got the feeling that I had treaded in the wrong place, and I frowned quizzically.

"Uhhh."

"Well let me tell you what we were doing this morning." His voice had an edge of sarcasm in it as he ranted dangerously at me. "We were ambushed outside Flygon's Pathway by the Snakes. When Sky called for reinforcements, we left three people guarding the warehouse and the rest of us headed off. You," he jabbed a finger at me, taking his hand off his tray, "were supposed to be one of them.

"They got into headquarters and would've burned it down, if not for Lex and her strategic take on the situation. You," He jabbed his finger at me again, this time making me recoil. "Should figure out if you actually want to to do this or not." Without a further glance he walked to the end of the table and slid in bewteen some emo guy with purple hair. I cringed ,aware that the whole cafeteria's eyes were on me after Drew's outburst. Misty, Dawn and Leaf hurried over quickly, but I saw no understanding or sympathy in their eyes. And I knew that they weren't going to comfort me, they were rock solid loyal to Drew. Blinking back the tears that suddenly threatened to spill, I dumped my lunch into the trash can, and hurried out of the cafeteria and keeping my eyes on the floor. I didn't want anyone to see the pain, sadness or vulnerablilty of my eyes. Not now.

* * *

Misty's POV

"Drew, can I talk to you?" I asked coldly, laying a hand on his shoulder. He looked up with his haunted eyes and stared harshly into mine. I didn't flinch, a couple years with Drew and I had learned that when he got angry, he got angry at _everyone. _Snorting in disgust, he got up andfollowed me ot of the cafeteria.

"What do you want?"

"How you shouted at May was totally out of line Drew." I said firmly. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with her?" He sneered.

"Your not usually this harsh to recruits," I argued in astonishment. "Why are you acting so different?"

"Maybe cause Gary took a knife to the shoulder?" He asked sarcasticley.

"This isn't about Gary, she didn't know that she had to come in the mornngs!"

"Normally, I would've told her, but she's already been in one of these, so why wouldn't she have come?"

"Maybe because her parents are international dangerous slave traders," I said. My voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Oh," his voice was timid now, as he looked at the ground, his change of attitude abrupt. "Wellll..."

"Maybe you should go apologize," I commanded jabbing a finger at the door. He nodded suddenly meek as he made his way down the hall. I sighed in disgust. _Boys. _

* * *

Back to May

I scrunched down, back against the tree and cried. The foliage concealed my hiding spot from the main stone walkway. I doubted anyone was in the huge courtyard now, as lunch wasn't over for another thirty minutes. Had the times been different, I would've been admiring the only glint of the sun that was covered by thick leaves, but wasn't enough to block out the bright outlined shape of it. I would've admired the wildflowers that had grown rarely in a peculiar row of two. I was sitting in a fairly small clearing in the schools renouned courtyard, and I would've noticed the soft grass that was tempting me to lay on. I would've, had I not been crying. _Over a boy. _Well not related to romance or anything, this was different all together. The last boy I had cried over as Kevin.

_"May, its time to go." My mother dragged me roughly away from hugging Kevin and shoved me into the car. His hand was raised in a sort of farewell motion, and a grim smile on his face as my father strarted the car. _

_"I-" the words caught in my throat as we started moving. "I love you!" I shouted the window as we pulled out of the drivway. I wasn't sure if he had heard me, but then I saw a him smile as he was lost from view. I held my tears back, determined not to cry in front of my parents. _

Sighing, and wiping the last of my tears away, I leaned over and washed my face in the convienient natural stream that flowed a few feet away from me. Just then, I heard a rustle in the bushes and lookd over to see a mop of green hair and softened eyes come through.

"I thought you'd be here," Drew said, tucking his hands into his pockets awkwardly. _You did huh? _

"Ohhhh..." I looked at him, narrowing my eyes in suspicion. "If you've come to rant more about..."

"No," he said quickly, looking up from the ground, a guilty expresion on his face. "No. I-I just wanted to say sorry." His voice was barely a whisper at the end as he looked down.

"Really?" I asked incredulously, looking at him in surprise.

"Yeah," he nodded looking at me again. "One of my best friends got hurt in the fight and I was taking out all my anger on you. I have a tendency to do that," he scratched his head sheepishly. "And I sorta forgot about your parents."

"Oh," I smiled happily. "Well, thanks..."

He cleared his throat uncomfortably as he looked around him again. "Well, I better be-"

'Wait," I was suddenly curious now. "Did Misty put you up to this?"

He shook his head. "She put some sense into me, but there is no way she could make me say sorry." With that he parted the bushes as he stepped back onto the gravelly path. I smiled, not sure why his answer had pleased me.

* * *

**I LOVE MAKING MAY CRY...OKAY I'M NOT HEARTLESS...BUT BOY IS SHE DEPRESSED... LOL**


End file.
